


the boy who sold the world

by night_dreamer (hotch_fan)



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: ... kind of, A Bit of Fluff, Betrayal, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Related, Conversations, Feels, Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hugs, Jack's scab turn isn't swept under the rug here, Lies, Light Angst, Making Up, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Missing Scene, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 21:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12197460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotch_fan/pseuds/night_dreamer
Summary: Jack arrived on time to save Davey from being beaten to a pulp courtesy of the Delancey brothers. That wasn't enough to make Davey forget or forgive him for abandoning the newsies, but it was a start.





	the boy who sold the world

**Author's Note:**

> Set after the fight with the Delanceys but before the visit to Denton's apartment.
> 
> Also, this is my first foray into this fandom, so any comments would be very much apreciated. :D

"You should go talk to him," Sara told him softly as soon as she finished tending to the few scrapes and cuts he had.

David met her eyes for a moment before agreeing with a nod. He knew his sister was right, even if he wasn't looking forward to that conversation.

She nodded, satisfied with his response before she started putting things back into the little medical kit on the table.

He got up from his chair with a wince, the movement jarring his tender ribs. David resisted the impulse to put a protective hand on his chest, not wanting to worry his sister.

David ruffled Les' hair as he walked by, expecting the usual protests or maybe get his hand slapped away, but he didn't get any reaction. Les continued looking down at the table, silent and still, just as he had been since they returned home.

The teenager opened his mouth, searching his brain for words of comfort. _Anything_ he could say to his little brother to make him feel better, but he came up blank.

"Les. Can you come here, please?"

The younger boy lifted his head, looking up at his sister before dutifully going to her side.

David watched Sara put a comforting hand on his small shoulder as she talked softly. Everyone seemed to know how to deal with this better than him, it seemed. He shook his head before crossing the distance to the window.

Jack walked back home with them after the fight with the Delancys but hadn't come inside. The silent and tense walk had probably been awkward enough. David didn't think he had left, though, and looking through the window, he confirmed the other boy was still down in the alley before slipping out onto the fire escape, closing the window behind himself.

David wasn't sure how the talk with Jack was going to go, so he wanted to make sure Les and Sara couldn't overhear anything just in case things turned bad. He was still angry at Jack for betraying them like he did, but mostly he was confused about the whole thing.

Jack didn't seem to have noticed him, lost in his thoughts as he was. David braced his hands on the railing and called down to him. The other boy looked up, hesitating a moment before dropping his cigarette and stubbing it out on the sole of his shoe before he moved to climb the fire escape.

The first thing David saw was the scraped and bruised knuckles as Jack grabbed the rusted railing. He tossed aside the jacket he had been holding and pushed his hair away from his face. It was still strange to see him wearing nice clothes, the red bandana missing from his neck.

He was standing as far away as he could while still standing on the platform of the fire escape, looking anywhere but at David. He looked nervous. Almost afraid. It made him look even stranger.

"I didn't say thank you," David said, surprising them both. That was not what he had been planning to say.

"What for?" Jack asked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

"For your help with the Delanceys. I don't much care what they could have done to me, but Sara and Les-"

"'S'okay," He said with a shrug. "Any reason to soak 'em it's good for me."

David watched him carefully, trying to determine how true that was. It was no secret Jack enjoyed getting into fights, especially with the two brothers, but he wanted to think it was more than that. Jack had just messed up whatever deal he made with Pulitzer by getting involved in the fight, after all.

They fell into an uncomfortable silent then. Jack moved to lean against the railing, looking down at the alley. David followed him after a moment, still keeping the distance between them.

There was so much David had wanted to say to him--yell at him more like it--but some of it was irrelevant now that he wasn't so angry anymore. As for the rest, he wasn't sure where to even begin.

"Why did you do it?" He finally asked. _Why?_ That was one of his first thoughts when he saw Jack on the other side of the gate that morning.

"Huh?"

"Turn against the newsies," David said sharply. "What did he offer you?"

"What?"

"Pulitzer. What did he give you to switch sides?"

Jack looked away for a second, and when he looked back there was a smirk on his face. "Ya think I let the old man bribe me?"

David frowned. "What else am I supposed to think? You sold us out as soon as he talked to you."

"You'se got it all wrong," He murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"It ain't 'bout what he was gonna give me." Jack looked up then, meeting his gaze. "He was real friendly at first. Said he was gonna keep me outta the Refuge if I worked for him again. That he was gonna give me tons of money and the chance to get away from here. Said I was gonna be _free,"_ He added in a softer tone. "But that ain't why I turned scab."

"What you said at the distribution center-"

"That ain't the truth."

"Okay," He said slowly, still confused. It was good to hear Jack say he hadn't left them for the money lik he said, even if David couldn't be sure he was telling the truth (not after everything that happened) but even if he was, that only brought more questions.

"He threatened you," Jack admitted before David had to ask again.

He blinked. "Me?"

"Yeah," Jack said with a nod. "You and the guys. Said he was gonna put you all in the Refuge and it was gonna be my fault."

David only knew what little Jack and the other newsies had told him about the Refuge, so rather than think about the possibility of being sent there, he focused on the rest. "That's not true. He-"

"I started it all. Got everyone to go along with my stupid idea," Jack spat. "It's my fault Crutchy is locked up there now."

"I don't think he would agree with you," David told him, moving until they were standing shoulder to shoulder. "Besides, they followed you because they knew you were right. _We_ knew you were right," He amended. "What Pulitzer did was not fair, and a lot of kids were going to suffer because of it."

That didn't seem to be enough to convince Jack it wasn't his fault. David searched for something else to say.

"I think we all understood the consequences this could bring."

"Not you." David opened his mouth to protest but Jack spoke before he could say a word. "You know the Refuge's a bad place, but you don't know how bad it is in there. Me and the boys, we knows all about it, but we'se used to things being real bad for us anyway, but you'se different."

"So you don't think I can take care of myself." David crossed his arms across his chest, holding back a wince at the pain it caused him. He hoped Jack wasn't going to bring up the fact he couldn’t even handle a fight to prove he was right.

"It ain't like that. You'se smart and brave, but that ain't enough. Not in that place." Jack's hands were balled into fists, his eyes dark and haunted. The expression was gone in the blink of an eye. "'Sides, you'se got a family. Who's gonna help 'em while you'se in there?"

David didn't know what to say to that, so he remained silent. Instead, he thought back to everything he shouted at Jack's face that morning when he saw him wearing his fancy new suit. He had been so angry and so hurt then, but now he felt ashamed.

Jack was doing it to protect him and he had insulted him in return. He almost _hit_ him, even. David had been too angry then to be surprised by the strange impulse to hurt him, but he was even more grateful now that they had stopped him.

"What now?" David asked, breaking the silence one more time.

"I dunno," Jack murmured with a shrug. "Guess I'se gonna hole up somewhere so I don't get caught again. The Delanceys mustta gone babbling already 'bout the soaking they got."

David bit his lip, looking at the alley below. "You could do that, or you can go back where you belong and help us beat Pulitzer."

Jack looked at him, surprised. "You'se not giving up yet?"

"Of course not! We have to keep fighting."

Jack blinked a couple of times before he started chuckling. He shook his head. "You'se don't know when to quit, do you?"

"I guess I don't," David agreed with a shrug, the corner of his lips tilted upward. "Are you going to help me?"

He shook his head. "I ain't no good no more. Them guys hate me now."

"They ... aren't happy about what you did," Jack snorted at the understatement. "But I'm sure they will forgive you if you explain what happened. They're your friends."

Jack's uncertain expression made David hesitate. The other boy knew the newsies better than he did, so maybe it wouldn't be as easy to fix things as he thought. But it didn't matter, not really. If the newsies had a chance to win, they _needed_ Jack on their side, and if they did win, there would be no reason for them not to forgive Jack. Or so he hoped.

"Look, we need to stay together. If Pulitzer went to so much trouble to catch you and threaten you, it means we were doing things right. That he was scared we were going to win."

He shook his head. "You saw what happened with the rally. Why's people gonna listen to a bunch of angry kids with no money when a rich fella tells 'em not to?"

David pursed his lips as he heard his own words. "We'll make them."

"How?"

"I- I don't know," He admitted. They didn't even have Denton at their side anymore. "I- we'll think of something. All of us."

Jack met his eyes, head tilted slightly to the side. "You was the one who don't want no strike."

"Yes, well. You convinced me it was a good idea," David said with a small smile. "That's why you can't leave now."

He didn't get a reply. Jack just looked away then, lips pressed together as he rubbed the reddened skin of his knuckles with his thumb.

"You'se said you don't need me."

"I lied." The words made Jack look at him again.

"Come on, let's go inside," David said, giving him a couple of awkward pats on the back before moving back to the window. "I'm sure we'll come up with something."

The other boy didn't move, elbows resting on the railing as he looked downward again.

"Jack ..." He swallowed. "You are not leaving, are you?"

Jack turned to face him then. Their eyes met for a long, silent moment. It felt like Jack was searching for something in his face, but he had no idea what.

"Nah. We'se gonna show 'em not to mess with us street rats, right?"

David opened his mouth to protest the demeaning term but stopped when he saw the expression on his face. Gone was the nervous, scared boy of the alley, or the subdued and tense scab of the distribution center. The defiant light was back in his eyes, as was the boyish grin curling the corners of his lips. Just like that day when Jack called the newsies to go on strike.

It was the expression that made Dave go along with the strike against his better judgment. The expression that made him feel Jack could do anything he wanted, and that could make David follow Jack almost anywhere he asked.

"Right."

Before he could think of it, David held out a hand for the other boy, waiting with bated breath as Jack looked down at it.

Jack took the offered hand, and before David could understand what was happening, he was being wrapped in the taller boy's arms. The pressure to his ribs made David gasp, but just as the arms around him loosen up, he tightened his grip on Jack, not letting him pull back.

They were both smiling when the hug ended, Jack's arm still draped around his shoulder, pulling him close.

"You ready to get us back on the papes?"

"I'm ready for anything," David replied, matching Jack's bright smile.

They could do this. They could do anything. Together.

**Author's Note:**

> After that they went inside, where Sara mentioned the article and that's how they ended up in Denton's apartment. *nods* So, this is pretty much the scene I think was missing after watching the movie recently (along with the reaction of the other newsies to Jack switching sides and why). My brain started plotting and so I decided to give it a try and this came out. I actually have no idea how this happened, but I hope someone (other than me) enjoyed it. :D
> 
> I'm not a native speaker and my English is still a work in progress, but I did try to incorporate Jack's accent, so I hope I didn't made a mess of it. Any corrections or comments will be very welcome.
> 
> Title inspired by the song "The Man Who Sold The World" by David Bowie.


End file.
